


Couch

by pencilguin



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Angst, Arguing, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Making Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:28:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28268400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pencilguin/pseuds/pencilguin
Summary: It's their first bigger argument, and Hugh is exhausted and wants to call it a night. Things don't go as expected.
Relationships: Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets
Comments: 6
Kudos: 61
Collections: USS Spaceboos ficlets and snippets





	Couch

**Author's Note:**

> Since I don't seem to have a lot of current writing to show lately for some reason, I'll try to clean up and post some older works.  
> This one is from... *checks document metadata* December 2019. Oops.  
> It's also unbeta'd, so sorry for any mistakes.

Hugh sighs exasperatedly and runs a hand over his face. Their first bigger argument has steadily escalated over the last hour or so, both of them running into a corner, neither of them willing to concede or change his standpoint, and Hugh has run out of energy.

“Clearly this is getting us nowhere. I’m tired. We can continue this tomorrow if you must.” He tries to make his words sound final, signaling to Paul that he won’t engage any further tonight, because Paul was ready to open his mouth again. At these words, though, he visibly halts, and Hugh can see his mind working, though what he’s thinking remains unclear. There’s a shift in his expression, oddly looking more painful than frustrated.

“But…”

“Paul, no,” Hugh interrupts him. “Tomorrow, maybe.” He sighs again. “I’m going to bed.”

With those words, he leaves Paul behind in the living room and disappears into the bathroom upstairs to get ready for bed, maybe letting the door fall shut behind him a little too loudly. He worries that Paul might follow him, try to start the argument all over again while brushing their teeth, but he doesn’t show up. Maybe he’s waiting until Hugh is finished, to give him some space. Hugh admits that he welcomes it. He doesn’t like being angry at Paul, hates it, in fact, but sometimes they’re both just too stubborn, and then a few minutes of silence and distance can be a blessing.

When he’s finished, he goes into their bedroom and climbs into bed, leaving the lights on a low setting so Paul won’t have to navigate the room in complete darkness when he gets there. And because it would feel rude. He does turn his back to the door, though, to not invite any further conversation.

Time passes, five minutes, ten, fifteen… Hugh almost dozes off but then is startled awake by the realization that, oddly, Paul still hasn’t arrived. He thought he’d heard some commotion in the bathroom after he’d left, but it’s quieted down several minutes ago. There aren’t any sounds coming from the living room downstairs, either, no music or other noises or anything else indicating that Paul’s staying up and taking his mind off their argument with any distractions.

Grown suspicious, Hugh gets out of bed and tiptoes back downstairs. To his surprise, it’s dark, so he turns on the lights — and finds Paul curled up on the couch, wrapped in a blanket and clearly unsuccessful at trying to sleep.

“What are you doing down here?” Hugh asks, baffled. “Why… why aren’t you coming to bed?” Worries are creeping into his brain at this discovery. Yes, they were fighting, but he hadn’t thought Paul to be so mad at him that he’d refuse to go to bed together. The mere thought stings painfully.

Paul lifts his head, his hair already ruffled in that adorable way that he gets to see so many mornings. The next shock to Hugh’s system is seeing his face: Instead of angry, he looks distraught. The last remnant of Hugh’s anger evaporates, replaced by concern.

“Paul…? What’s wrong?”

“I wasn’t sure if…” Paul draws a shaky breath. “I didn’t think you wanted me there…”

“Why wouldn’t I…” Realization hits when Hugh remembers some of the things Paul alluded to from his last relationship. Is that what used to happen? His ex kicked him out of bed after a fight and banished him to the couch? Hugh’s anger rises again, finding a different target. He tries to force it down, doesn’t want it to show on his face and give Paul any more wrong ideas. “Paul,” he starts again, calmly. “I would never kick you out of our bed, definitely not over an argument like this.”

He watches Paul a little nervously, his eyes going wide in surprise and the mix of hope and relief that crosses his face. Tentatively, he sits down on the edge of the couch.

“We didn’t break up or anything. We just had a fight; it happens, we can deal with the rest of it in the morning.” He tries a hopeful, encouraging little smile himself. “We’re not gonna punish each other for disagreeing, right?”

Paul shakes his head vehemently. Hugh opens his arms, and Paul accepts the hug he’s offering. “You’re very different from him,” he mutters into Hugh’s shoulder.

Hugh rubs his back comfortingly for a few more seconds, before releasing him and nodding his head towards the staircase. Paul nods, and follows him back into the bedroom.

When they’re settled under the covers, Paul turns to him.

“Hugh?”

“Hm?”

“Are you still mad at me? About the fight?”

“Not right now,” Hugh mumbles sleepily. “I try to never take my anger into bed.”

“Can we cuddle, then?”

Hugh turns his head towards him. Even in the darkness of the room, he can make out Paul’s big, blue puppy eyes. As if he could say “no” to that question. He smiles. “Of course.”

Paul curls up to him, holding him even closer than usual, and Hugh wraps his arms around him as well. In addition to their argument, which seems petty and pointless to him at this point, he feels like a conversation about their relationship will be in order over breakfast in the morning.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thank you so much to everyone who leaves lovely and supportive comments on my fics! Even if I usually don’t know how to adequately respond to them, please be assured that they make me super happy and brighten my day! <3


End file.
